


The Bravest of Us

by ThereIsNoTragedyInThat



Series: Cuddling Drabbles [8]
Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Don't copy to another site, Drabble, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:35:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21672322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat/pseuds/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat
Summary: "Do you think you'll give them a happy ending?"
Relationships: Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon
Series: Cuddling Drabbles [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1478660
Comments: 1
Kudos: 35





	The Bravest of Us

**Author's Note:**

> Anon on Tumblr requested 21 from the cuddling list for the pairing Bill Denbrough/Mike Hanlon. To see the cuddling list: https://visionarygalaxy.tumblr.com/post/187541345666/cuddling-prompts. Feel free to give a prompt :)

Bill ran his fingers over the surface of the water gently, eyes on the way the soapy tendrils parted and swirled in his wake. It was quiet, and the water was hot enough to have steam drifting toward the ceiling, leaving his hair plastered to his forehead. The heat of the water was nothing compared to that of the body plastered against his front.

Between the two of them they barely fit in the old-fashioned claw foot tub. Mike was several feet taller then him and his long legs were scrunched up at the base, tangled with Bill’s own. It should be almost painful between the porcelain and muscle, but it wasn’t, it just felt comforting. Bill had secured his arms around the other man’s waist, while Mike let his own fingers drum lazily against the edge of the tub.

They were quiet. The house, that until a couple months ago belonged to Bill and his wife, was nearly silent but for the soft music from the radio in the kitchen drifting through the air. He glanced down at where Mike’s head rested against his chest, eyes closed and breath slow.

Mike had been staying with him for nearly six weeks now. That time had been filled with tentative touches and whispered conversations, yet nothing definable had come out of it. That was alright, Bill could be patient for as long as Mike needed. There was still so much to do, to heal from since Derry.

“What are you thinking about?”

The sound of Mike’s voice, lazy and contented, startled Bill for a moment, pulling him from his darkening thoughts. He had no desire to bring up this fragile thing growing between them when they were so calm and relaxed.

“The ending of my next book,” he hesitated before adding. “I think it might be a happy one.”

“Really?” Mike sounded doubtful. “I thought you preferred realism.”

Bill ran a hand up Mike’s chest, petting lightly, “its relative I think. Not every character will be happy of course. But some of them. In the long run.”

There was a long pause and Bill knew Mike wanted to ask something, had been holding back words for days now as Bill got started on his next project, the outlines of which he refused to let the other man see.

“Do you think you’ll ever write about what happened? In Derry with Pennywise?”

Bill tensed. It was an automatic reaction, couldn’t be helped and neither could the stutter that always seem to reappear at the mention of their hometown or the monster they had fought down with nothing but words.

“N-n-no. N-not exactly.”

One of Mike’s hands dropped down to grip Bill’s own, squeezing softly. “what do you mean not exactly?”

Bill sighed, pressed a kiss to the side of Mike’s head, “I-I mean, it would be d-d-diff-ferent. S-some the s-same, b-but most of it c-changed.”

Another long pause, then; “would you give that story a happy ending?”

Bill didn’t need to think too hard to know that Mike was referring to Stan and Eddie or that it was guilt causing the man to slump against him now, head shifting away. There was nothing that could possibly be said in that moment to ease that feeling for Mike and Bill wouldn’t lie to the man.

They had both played a role in the death of their friends and hearing denials did nothing but make them sink further into self-hatred. Bill tightened his arm around Mike and gripped their hands tightly together once more in a silent show of solidarity. There was a reason why they hadn’t contacted Bev, Ben, and Ritchie in the aftermath of Derry, had kept to themselves here.

“N-no,” Bill forced out. “I d-don’t think so.”

That seemed to grab Mike’s attention, “why?”

Bill bit his lip for a moment, willing away the stinging in his eyes and answered as honestly as he could, “because they w-were the b-b-bravest of us. I w-want th-em to be re-remem-m-mbered like that.”

Mike tilted his head back towards him, eyes piercing as they took in Bill, making him feel as though his soul was being examined. Mike had always been good at that kind of intensity, that kind of passion whenever he decided to do something, and it was always unsettling having it leveled on him.

“Yeah,” he murmured. “That sounds right for them.”

Bill smiled and didn’t hesitate to press a chaste kiss to Mike’s lips, feeling yet another small piece of himself heal in the aftermath of Derry.

**Author's Note:**

> So...I have a new computer and its absolute crap for formatting my stories. They might come out a bit weird till I figure out how to fix it. Thanks for reading!


End file.
